Fall of Rome

"Be safe," Xena told them as she kissed Eve's head one more time before sending them on their way that night. She slept almost peacefully that night after ordering Hercules and Ares to move into the city through the aqueducts and to take more men and women. Quietly and using a little energy they all worked the every building until it was no more than sand, a small group of them compacted it together in the early morning hours some had worked all night and now others joined them. When it counted the city would become sand.

"Now," Xena told most of their forces as they all began to create tremors as they glowed brightly. The bodies of the dead Amazons began to slide down as the group keeping the sand together allowed it too. A flash of light filled the air. In that instance Marc Anthony found himself back inside of Rome in full armor and weapons.

"She's gone!" Marc Anthony raised the alarm himself. Brutus and General Ving were furious.

"How did they get in!" General Ving thundered. "You said this place was imprenatrable."

"It is!" Brutus yelled.

"From the outside you idiot, one of the slaves or someone must have betrayed us, or maybe it was you to save your own skin," Marc Anthony growled. General Ving turned to look at Brutus.

"Of course it had to be you, you're a coward in the lowest sense."

"I did not give her to Xena, I would never do that she stands in the way of my success." General Ving looked at him not believing him for a second.

"So you say, lead the army in the large scale attack on them, they're vulnerable at the moment, QUICKLY!" Brutus practically jumped as he plotted General Ving's death in his mind. He would kill him right along with M arc Anthony who he suspected was not so innocent.

"Here they come," Xena said as light flashed from them creating another tremor. "Keep it up." She stood and walked out apparently alone to meet the Roman army who were losing their footing with every tremor. They couldn't see behind her the glow was so bright.

"Come to meet us alone have you, well we'll make this a swift death," Brutus told her from a top his horse. She grinned at him.

"Brutus, Brutus it's like everything I do right you seem to do wrong in my absence." The Roman army, Brutus, and Xena turned to look at Caesar. "Yes, that's right I'm back, took me awhile, but I am here."

"Now, damn it you were supposed to find your way back after I had crucified him."

"Well I was never one to come when others wanted me too."

"Uh huh yes, I see that." Before Caesar could react Xena's Chakram was out of her hand and cutting through his neck. "That was years coming." Her chakram turned in the air and came back to her and she caught it. It was dripping with Caesar's blood.

"Well that saves me a lot of time, now I just have to deal with you."

"I didn't do it for you." She threw her chakram and Brutus quickly raised his shield up bouncing it off and instead it sliced off the top of spears in the front line before sinking into a soldier's neck. They threw down their now useless spears.

"You know Xena if you move now, maybe I'll spare your life and let you live out the rest of your days as my whore." He laughed. "And your daughter will be a whore to my future heirs." Xena cracked her as her eyes began to glow once again as they had after the first battle with Caesar.

"I don't think so." Her entire body began to glow and the ground began to tremble tenfold sending all of the horses rearing.

"What are you doing get her!" They scrambled to attack her but light shot from her eyes engulfing everyone except Brutus. When the light cleared they were all under her control and turned towards Rome. "Kill General Ving!"

"What are you doing attack her!" Brutus yelled. They didn't listen as they marched on Rome. Xena pulled her chakram from the neck of the soldier.

"Now it's you and me Brutus, just you and me."

"Marc Anthony will mow those mindless drones and you'll be surrounded again." Xena laughed.

"If you think Marc Anthony will help you, you're greatly mistaken. So come here Brutus I promise not to be gentle."

"There's the signal," Ares told Hercules who nodded as the powerful tremor ran through the earth. They climbed up through the aqueducts and began taking out any soldier insight working their way to the Palace. If they came into contact with Marc Anthony they made him out to be a hero protecting the people of Rome from there. As if they had any intention of hurting them. However the city was now pouring sand and coming down as the once loyal soldiers to Rome marched for the pile of sand that was the palace. General Ving stood on the pile pissed off.

"You will all die!" He yelled as they came together in a Phalanx, the controlled Roman soldiers joining them. The soldiers still exercising free will came together in formation, but they had no chance again the Phalanx and they knew it. Some immediately ran claiming to protect the people who were in no danger. Marc Anthony back the people up telling them to pray for the end of General Ving for if he won nothing good could come from his victory.

"But Caesar killed the Gods."

"No, look Mars marches at the head of the formation," Marc Anthony pointed.

"Praise the Gods, the God of War is behind the other army and fighting beside them. May the Gods have mercy on the rest of us." There was a loud crash as the Roman army rammed Xena and Drake's army. But they were useless in trying to move soldiers in a phalanx. They separated and they pulled out their spears to attack them from under on the first row, and above from the second row.

"Get him," Hercules told Ares who nodded and flipped over the last of the Roman soldiers running for Ving. The first row closed ranks quickly and easily not losing any strength.

"Its time you and I settled a score," Ares growled and struck General Ving's sword bloodlust coursing through his veins again. It was still as intoxicating as ever. The sound of their swords clashing rang through what was even still left standing of the city.

"Come on, that phalanx can hold, but they'll figure out to make a wide arc and surround them soon. They're still a little outnumbered," Drake told them. He marched the part of the army that wasn't utterly drained into Rome passing Xena who was engaged in a battle with Brutus, she had a debt to settle with him. And he had to settle a debt with Ving who had killed his father.

"Ha, ha Brutus, haven't you been up late practicing," Xena laughed as she rotated her sword, she was like a cat with a ball or yarn now that her baby was safe. Brutus watched her breathing hard angrily.

"Keep laughing Xena but soon my army will destroy yours and you'll be hung from a cross, and I will personally cut of your head to make sure you stay dead this time." Xena grinned.

"Go ahead and try Brutus, you've always been welcome to try, but I think pretty soon your chances will run out."

"You won't so cocky when the Roman army surrounds you." Xena laughed and stood up straight. She pointed her sword.

"You mean that patrol?" He looked to see his army defeated most in magical shackles and the ones with free will were either dead or any more shackles as Drake now engaged General Ving in battle with Ares backing him up as the others cheered. "Your soldiers are under my control and if they aren't, they're either dead or shackled. You've lost" She used the end of her hilt to bust him in the head and finally secure him in magical shackles. He would be crucified.

"Ha, ha you're as worthless as your pathetic father," General Ving laughed. Drake growled but kept his anger in check before he lost focus.

"You will pay for the death of my father."

"I have nothing to pay for, I only gain, and I will gain your life." General Ving did a few combinations and Drake in his weakened state couldn't keep up. General Ving knocked him back into Ares and was poised to kill. Xena just barely made it in time to stop him with her sword, but he was quick, she didn't see the dagger that now lodged itself between two ribs in a lung. She used her foot to shoved him back before she dropped her sword and fell backwards sliding in the sand as beautiful blue eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"XENA!"

Author's Note: Yes I know, short and a clip hanger, I should kick myself, but I actually won't make you wait too long for the next chapter and its much longer in fact it took me awhile to post this little bit I wrote earlier today cause I was working on the next chapter and didn't want to stop the flow while I was in the zone hehe. So remember not long now before the next, won't be months of waiting.